Sewing machine



E. T. LEVEQUE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed t. 6. 1918 4 Sheets-Sheet 2June 22 192Go B. T. LEVEUIE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 26 1 4Sheets-Shee :5

Patented June 22, 1926.

UITED STATES PAIEI OFFICE.

BERNARD Ci. LE'VEQ''E, 02H 'WENHM, MASACHUSETTB, SSIGNOR T0 UNITED BHOEMGHIIEBY CORPORATION, 013 PAIEBSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0E NEWJERSEY.

snwine nacnmn.

rlglnai application flled ep,tember 26, me, Scalal No. 255,849. Dividedand this application filet! The invention relates to driving andstarting mechanism ion sewing machines and other machines havingremprocating parts corresponding to the needle bars 01! carriers oisewing machines which should be uniformly brought into definite positionupon the completion of an operation. The present application is adivision of application Serial No. 255,849, filed September 26, 1918,and the invention Will be further explained in connection with itsapplication to the buttonhole sewing machine in said application.

The seWing mechanism of the above machine consists of upper and underneedle carriers in the form of needle bars and these needle carriersshould be brought to rest in rtracted position free of the work at thecompletion of the sewing operation. To accomphsh this result the needlecarriers are actuated from a continuously rotatin sewing shaft throughconnections whic permit each carrier to be retained at the limit of itsretractingstroke when a seam has been completed, While the shaft andunarrested members of the connections ma continue to move independentlyof the carrier, thus avoiding the shock and wear incident t0 arrestingthe rapidly moving shaft and connections at a definite point in thecycle in order to bring the needle s into proper stop ed positions. Theneedle carriers may e disconnected from the sewing shaft and retained intheir retracd positions b devices which are automatically actuate at thecompletion of the sewing and at the same time the sewing shaft may bedisconnected from its driving power. The sewing mechanism may,therefore, be l'un at high speed and may uniformly be brought to stoppedposition at the end of the sewing without undue shock and. wearregardless of its speed and regardless of variations in speed incidentto operating conditions.-

. The featureS of the invention indicated abOve, as well as furtherfeatures referred to in the claims, will be understood from aninspection of the accompanying drawings nism and the forward part of theactuating and stopping mechanism therefor, Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the rear part oi: the stopping and actuating mechanism, Fig. 3is a front elevation of the stop mechanism for the lower needle bar,Fig. 4;- is a side elevation of the same looking toward the left fromFig, 3, Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same, and 6 is a rear elevationpartly in section of the driving mechanism.

The machine to which the invention has been applied comprises stitchforming mechanism including an upper needle and an under needle andlooper, a sewing shait by which the stitch forming mechanism isactuated, and a main cana shaft which is driven at high speed bothbefore and after the sewing to control and actuate the mechanisms whichoperate during these periods in the buttonhole making cycle and isdriven at slow speed durin the sewing t0 relatively move the stitcforming mechanism and work clamp to sew an overseam about the edge of abuttonhole.

As shown in the drawings the upper needle 2 is carried by a verticalneedle bar 4 mounted to reciprocate in and turn with a sleeve 6 which isrotated during the sewing about 'the eye and bar end of the buttonhole.The under needle is carried by a needle bar 10 mounted on a turret 12which rotates in unison with the sleeve 6 and also carrieS a looper 14and the under needle and looper operating mechanism.

Both the upper needle bar and the under needle and looper mechanism areconnected with parts whmhreciprocate synchroncusly therewith and areactuated from et continuously rotating shaft through connections whichpermit the reciprocating parts to be arrested and held at the limit oftheir needle retracting strokes without requiring the arrest of theshaft and connections through which otion is normally transmitted to thereciprocating parts. Means is also provided for diconnectmg the powerfrom the actuating shaft and for arresting the movement of thereciprocating parts and the connected needles to stop the stitch formingmechanism in proper position for the spacin of the work when the sewingof the button%ole has been completed.

The mechanism for actuating the under needle and 100 er mechanism'comprises a lever 16 which 1s connected with the under needle and looperoperatin mechanism on the turret by a link 18 s0 t1at the rec1procationof the under needle is synchronous with the reciprocation of the lever.The lever is mounted on a fixed shaft 20 and is oscillated durin thesewing from a continuously running haft 22 which is provided with acrank 24 connected by a link 26 with one arm of a bell crank lever 28,the other arm of which is provided with a lateral projection 30 overlyinthe lever 16. The lever 16 is normally lield in engagement with theprojection 30 on the lever 28 by a heavy spring 32 coiled about the hubof the lever 28 and having one end engaging a lug 34 on the lever andthe other end engaging the under side of the lever 16. The levers 28 and16 are also normally locked together by a latch 36 pivoted on the lever16 and pro vided at its upper end with a shoulder adapt ed to overlieprojection 30 on the lever 28. The latch is normally held in engagementwith the projection by a spring 38. During the sewing, therefore, thelevers 28 and 16 move together and transmit motion from the actuatingcrank on the shaft 22 to the under needle bar and looper.

When the stitch forming mechanism is to be arrested et the end of thesew ing the latch 36 is disengaged from the lever 28 and the lever 16 isretained in its lower or needle retracted position b a stop dog 40having a shoulder 42 adapte to be brought into position over the lever,and also provided with a finger 44 which is brought into the path of aroll 46 on the latch 36 during the final downward movement of the lever16 and thus disengages the latch. The stop dog s mounted on a fixedpivot 48 and is provided with a laterally projecting tail piece 50 whichoverlies the forward end of a bell orank lever 52. During the sewing thebell crank lever holds the stop dog in its inactive position indicatedin Figs. 4 and 5. When the stitch forming mechanism is to be arrested atthe end of the sewing the bell crank lever 52 is rocked to release thestop dog which is then forced towards its active position by the spring54 (Fig. 3). When the lever 16 is in its upper or needle advancedposition during the last stitch forming cycle the cell crank lever isthus rocked to release the stop dog by a cam lever 56,

operated by a cam 58 on the cam shaft 60 of the machine and having itsupper end eonnected by a link 62 with the bell crank lever. When thestop dog is thus released it swings toward the ri ht in Fig. 3 and ridesagainst the side of t e lever 16 during the downward or needleretracting stroke of the lever so that the latch 36 is disengaged fromthe lever 28 b the finger 44. When the lever passes be ow the shoulder42 the dog snaps forward into active position as indicated in Fig. 3 andretains the lever 16 and the connected under needle and looper mechanismin retracted position during the continued movement of the actuatinshaft 22 which is permitted and resisted y the yielding of the spring32.

When the under needle and looper are arrested at the completion of thesewing the tension for the under thread is also released by theengagement of the tail 50 of the stop dog 40 with a tension releaselever 64 which acts on a pin 66 to separate the tension disks 68 andthus release the under thread tension.

The mechanism for stopping the upper needle bar in retracted position issimilar in construction and mode of operation to that for stopping theunder needle in its retracted position. The upper needle bar isreciprocated through a lever 70 mounted on a stationary shaft 72 andconnected to an adjustable sleeve 74 on the bar by links 76 so that thelever and bar reciprocate synchronously. The lever 70 is oscillatedthrough a bell crank lever '78, one arm of which is provided with aprojection 80 which is normally held in engagement with the lever by thespring 82 and latch 84. The lever 7 8 is oscillated to advance andretract the upper needle bar by a crank 86 on the shaft 22 connected bya link 88 to the knuckle of two toggle links 90 which connect the lowerend of the lever 78 to a fixed pivot 92. The latch 84 is disconnectedfrom the lever 78 and the lever 70 with its connected needle bar areretained in retracted position at the end of the sevving by the stop dog94 controlled by the bell crank lever 96 which is connected by a link 98to the upper end of the cam operated lever 56 so that the stop dog isreleased during the last stitch forming cycle to retain the lever 70 andneedle bar in retracted position during the continued movement of theactuating shaft and of the connections through which motion is normallytransmitted therefrom to the lever 70.

When'the upper needle is arrested in its retracted position the tensionon the upper needle thread is released through a tension releasing lever100 engaged by the tail of the stop pawl 94.

The clutch through which the sewing shaft 22 is driven is disengagedWhen the sewmg 1s completed and as t..e stop doge for the levers 16 and70 are moved into active position and the resistance of the springs 32and 82 after the levers have been arrested act to overcome the momentumof the shaft and the motion transmitting parts and also act through thecranks 86 and 24 to finally bring the shaft to rest with the levers 28and 78 in engagement with the levers 16 and 70. The sewing shaft is thusuniformly brought to rest with the connecping of the mechanism is,therefore, efiected shaft 22 throu without shock or jar thereto,regardless of the speed at which the machine is run and Without thenecessity of stopping the actuating shaft and the entire train ofmechanism through which motion is transmitted at a definite point in therotation of the shaft. The sewihg mechanism may therefore, be uniformlybrought to stopp1ng position at the end of the sewing without shock orWear when operating at high speed.

The mechanism for driving t e cam shaft 60 which carries the cam 58 forcontrolling ing mechanism and also the came for operating andcontrolling the various parts and mechanisms of the machine compr1ses aworm Wheel 102 secured to the cam shaft and a worm 104 engaging the wormwheel and adapted to be rotated either continuonsly at high speed priorto and after the sewing or to be rotated intermittently from the sewingshaft 22 during the sewing. The worm is secured t0 a sleeve mounted toturn on the shaft 22 and provided at its end with a clutch member 106,the inner zone of which is arranged to be engaged b a clutch memberformed on the inner end of the high speed driving sleeve 108, and theouter zone of which is arranged to be engaged by a clutch member on theend of the intermittent slow s eed work feeding clutch sleeve 110. Theigh speed drivin sleeve is adapted to slide on the shaft 22 and isprovided on its outer end with a driv- 1ng galley 112 which is providedwith a clutc member adapted to be engaged by a clutch member 114 securedto the shaft 22. Ihe feed clutch sleeve 110 is oscillated dur- 1ng thesewing from the shaft 22 through an eccentric 116 on the shaft and aseries of levers and links indicated at 118. Dur- 1n g the sewing thefeed clutch is engaged with the worm sleeve during its advance or feedmgstroke and is disengaged from the worm sleeve during its return or idlestroke by an eccentric 120 driven from the h the gears 122 andoscillat1ng the clutc the link 126.

The clutches for actuating the cam shaft and the sewing shaft ar throwninto and out of action through a lever 128, the upper end of which isprovided with arms embracing' the high speed clutch sleeve 108 andprovided with pins engaging an annular groove 130 in the sleeve. The hubof the lever is shifting lever 124 through provided with a finger 132arranged t0 engage a finger 134 on the lever 124 to disengage the feedclutch 110 when the lever 128 1s-moved to shift the clutch sleeve 108into neutre] Eosition or into position to engage its clutc member withthe clutch member 106. The horizontal arm of the lever 128 is connectedwith a cam lever 136 'by a link 138, the upper end of which slidesthrough a block 140 pivoted to the lever 136. A spring 142 normallyholds acollar on the link in engagement with the under side of the blockso that the levers 128 and 136 will move in unison. The lever 136carries a roll engaged by a cam groove 144 formed in the rear face ofthe cam disk 58. The cam groove is so shaped that at the end of thecycle of operations performed by the machine it will hold the parts inthe positions indicated in Fig. 6 with the driving clutches isengaged orneutral position.

The machine is started by a starting lever 146 connected by a rod 148with a treadle. The starting lever is secured to the outer end of a rockshaft 150 to the inner end of which a lever 152 is secured. One end ofthe lever is a'rrangedto en age the upper end of the link 138 and theotlher end carries a roll engaging a concentric groove 154 formed in therear face of the cam disk 58 and provided with a 'recess 156 whichregisters with the roll when the parts are in starting and stoppingposition at the end of the cycle.

To start the machine the starting lever is operated to depress the link138 and thus operate the cam shaft lever 128 to engage the high speedclutch sleeve 108 with the clutch member 106. This starts the cam shaftet g high speed and during the first part of the revolution of the camshaft the starting lever is held by the operator. As the point 158 inthe cam groove 144 reaches the roll on the end of the lever 136 the cam160 at the end of the recess 156 acts on the lever 152 to releasethelink 138 so that during the remainder of the cycle the levers 128 and136 move for the cam shaft 60 and sewing shaft 22 in, and timing thestopping of the stitch formd in unison. At this point the cain 144 movesthe levers 128 and 136 to shift the clutch sleeve 108 toward the left inFig. 6, disengaging it from the clutch member 106 and .engagmg thepulley 112 with the clutch member 114. This starts the sewing shaft 22and also starts the intermittent feed of the cam shaft 60. The parts areso timed that as the sewing of a buttonhole seam is completed the point162 in the cam 144 reaches the roll and the lever 136 so that the cammoves this lever and lever 128 to shift the clutch sleeve 108 to theright, disengaging the pulley 112 and clutch member 114 and re-engagingthe sleeve with. clutch member 106. The cam shaft is now again driven athigh speed for the remainder of its revolution, when the cam 144 movesthe levers 136 and 128 to shift the clutch sleeve 108 iuto neutral orstopping position. The recess 156 is now again 1n register with the rollon the lever 159 so that the starting lever may be again operated bypressure on the treadle to start or continue the operation of themachine.

l/Vhile the invention has been =nown and described as applied to abuttonhole sewing machine t will be understood that it is not confinedin its application to such machine but may be embodied in other sewingmachines or in machines in which the mechanism for operating on the workincludes a reciprocating part or parts corresponding to the needlecarrier or carriers of the stitch forming mechanism of a sewing machinewhich at the completion of an operation is to be brought to rest andretained at the limit of its stroke.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine having, in combination, operating mechanism including areciprocating part, a rotating shaft, connections through which motionis normally transmitted from the shaft to the part constructed to permitindependent rotation of the shaft upon arrest of the part, and mechanismacting automatically t0 disconnect the shaft from its driving power andto retain the part in arrested position during continued movement of theshaft.

2. A machine having, in combination, operating mechanism including areciprocating part, an actuating shaft, connections through which motionis normally transmitted from the shaft to the art constructed t0 permitindependent rotat1on of the shaft upon arrest of jahe part, andmechanism acting automaticafly to retain the part in arrested positionduring the continued movement of the shaft and for disconnting the shaftfrom its driving power and bringing it to rest with the connections innormal position.

3. A machine having, in combination, operating mechanism including areciprocating part, a rotating shaft, connections through which motionis normally transmitted from the shaft to the part constructed to permitindependent rotation of the shaft upon arrest of the part at the end ofits retracting stroke, and mechanism acting automatically at thecompletion of an operation to disconnect the shaft from its drivingpower and to retain the part at the end of its stroke during thecontinued movement of the shaft.

4. A machine having, in combination, operating mechanism including areciprocating part, au arm connected to operate synchronously with thepart, a lever, a latch for normally connecting the lever and arm, an

- actuating shaft connected to oscillate the render the dog active etthe end et an operation to retain the arm at one end of its oscillation.

6. A machine having, in combination, an operating mechanism including areciprocating part, an arm connected to operate synchronously with thepart, a lever, an actuating shaft connected to oscillat the lever, anormally inactive dog for retaining the alm at one end of itsoscillation, a spring connecting the lever and arm to permit continuedmovement of the shaft and connections upon arrest of the arm and toreturn them to normal relation with the arm when the shaft isdisconnected from its driving power, and mechanism for disconnecting theshaft from its driving power and rendering the dog active.

7. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanismincluding a reciprocating needle carrier, a rotatm shaft, connectionsthrough which motion 1s normally transmitted from the shaft to thecarrier constructed to permit independent rotation of the shaft u onarrest of the needle carrier at the en of its needle retracting stroke,and mechanism acting automatically at the completion of the sewing todisconnect the shaft from its driving power and to retain the needle barat the end of its stroke during the continued movement of the shaft.

8. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanismincluding reciprocating upper and under needles, a rotary actuatingshaft, connections for normally transmitting motion from the shaft tothe needles, including parts reciprocating synchronously with theneedles, and means for disconnecting said parts from the sha ft andretaining them at the limit of the r, needle retracting strokes at theend of the sewing.

, A sewing machine, having, in combinati6n, stitch formihg mechanismincluding a reciprocating needle carrier, an actuating shaft,connections through which motion 1s normally transmitted from the Shaftto the needle carrier constructed to permit independent rotation of theshaft upon arrest of the carrier at the end of its needle retractingstroke, and mechanism for retaining the carrier at the end of its strokeduring the continncd movement of the shaft and for disconnecting theshaft from its drivingx power and bringinp; it to rest in stoppingposition at the end of the sewing.

10. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanisminclnding upper and under needlcs, arms conneutcd to reciprocatesynchrononsly'with the needles, an actuating shaft, connections Fornormally transmitting motion from the shaft to the arms constrnctcd fo1independent movement, stop dogs for retaining the arms inneedle-retracted position, and mechanism for disconnecting the shaftfrom its driving power and for rendering the dogs active at thecompletion of the sewing.

11. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanismincluding a reciprocating needle carrier, an arm connected to oscillatesynchrononsly with the needle carrier, a lever normally held inengagement With the arm by a spring, an actuating shaft connected tooscillate the lever, and a normally inactive stop dog rendered active atthe end of' the sewing to retain the arm at one end of its oscillation.

12. A sewin machine having, in combination, stitch orming mechanismincluding a reciprocating needle carrier, an arm connected to operatesynchronously with the needle carrier, a lever, a latch for normallyconnecting the lever and arm, an actuating shaft connected to oscillatethe lever, and mechanism acting automatically at the end of the sewingto disengage the latch and arrest the arm in needle retracted position,and to disconnect the shaft from its driving power and bring it to restin stopping position.

13. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanismincluding a. reciprocating needle carrier, a rotating shaft, connectionsthrough which motion is normal]y transmitted from the shaft to thecarrier constructed t0 permit independent rotation of the shaft uponarrest of the needle carrier, and mechanism acting automatically at thecompletion of the sewing t0 disconnect the shaft from its driving powerand to retain the needle carrier in position during the continuedmovement of the shaft. V

14. A sewin machine having, in combination, stitch orming mechanismincluding reciprocating upper and under needles, a rotar actuatingshaft, connections for norma ly transm1tting motion from the shaft tothe needles including parts reciprocating synchronously with theneedles, and means for discounect ng said parts from the shaft andretaining them in position at the end of the sewin 15. A sewm machinehaving, in combintion, stitch orming mechanism including a reciprocatingneedle carrier, an actnating shaft, connections throngh which motion isnormally transmitted from the shaft to the needle carrier constructed topermit indopendent rotation of the shaft upon arrest of the carrier, andmechanism for rctaining the carrier in stopped position dnring thecontinned movement of the shaft and for disconnecting the shaft from itsdriving powcr and bringing it to rest in stopping position at the end ofthe scwing.

16. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanisminclnding a reciprocntingx needle carrier, an arm con nected tooscillate synchronously with the needle carrier, a lever normally heldin engagement with the arm by a spring, an actuating shaft connected tooscillate the lever, and a normally inactive stop dog rendcred active tostop the arm at the end of' the sewing.

17. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanismincluding a reciprocating needle carrier, an arm connected to operatesynchronously with the needle carrier, a lever, a latch for normallyconnecting the lever and arm, an actuating shaft connected to oscillatethe lever, and mechanism acting automatically at the end of the sewingto disengage the latch and arrest the arm and to disconnect the shaftfrom its drivin power and bring it to rest in stop ing position.

18.: machine havng, in combination, operating mechanism including areciprocating part, an arm connected to oscillate synchronously with thepart, an actuating lever, a spring normally connecting the arm and leverto move together, mechanism for oscillating the lever, and meansrendered active at the end of an operation for retaining the arm at oneend of its oscillation.

19. A machine having, in combination, operating mechanism including areciprocating part, an arm. connected to oscillate synchronously withthe part, a lever normally held in engagement With the arm by a spring,an actuating shaft connected to oscillate the lever, a normally inactivestop dog, and means for rendering the dog active at the end of anoperation to retaifl the arm at one end of its oscillation.

20. A machine having, in combination, an operating mechanism mcluding areciprocating part, an arm connected to oscillate synchronously With thepart, a lever, an actuator connected to oscillate the lever, normallyinactive means for retaining the arm at one end of its oscillation, aspring connecting the lever and arm to permit continued movement of thelever and its actuator upon arrest of the arm, and means fordisconnecting the actuator from its driving power and rendering theretaining means active.

a reci rocating needle carrier, an arm con-' necte to oscillatesynchronously with the needle carrier, a lever, a spring normallyconnecting the arm and lever to move together, mechanism for oscillatingthe lever, and means rendered active et the completion 0l. a sewingoperation for retaining the arm at one end of its oscillation.

22. A sewing machine having, in combinatin, stitch forming mechanismincluding a. rcciprocnting ncedle carrier, an arm connected to oscillatesynchronously with the necdle carrier, a lever, an actuator connected tooscillate the lever. normally inactive menns for retaining the arm atone end of its oscillation, a spring oonnecting the lever and arm t0permit continued movement of the lever and its actuator upon arrest ofthe arm, and means for disconnecting the actuator from its driving powerand rendering the retaining means active.

23. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming mechanismincluding a reciprocating needle carrier, a sewing shaft, a feed camshaft, mechanism for actuating the cam shaft from the sewing shaft andindependently of said shaft, connections through which the needlecarrier is reciprocated from the sewing shaft constructed to permitindependent rotation of the shaft upon arrest of the needle carrier, andcontrolling mechanism for disconnecting the sewing shaft from itsdriving poWer and retaimng the needle carrier at one end of itsreciprocation. at the end of a sewing operation.

24. A machine having in combination, operating mechanism inc udin a recirocating part, an arm connecte to oscil ate synchronously With the part,an actuating lever, a spring normally connecting the arm and lever tomove together, a latch for normally connecting the lever and arm,mechanism for oscillating the lever, and means rendered active at theend of an operation for disconnecting the latch and retaining the arm atone end of its oscillation.

25. A machine having, in combination, an operating mechanism including areci rocating part, an arm connected to oscil ate synchronously with thepart, a lever hormally held in engagement with the arm by a spring, alatch normally connecting the lever and arm, an actuating shaftconnected to oscillate the lever, a normally inactive stop dog, andmeans for disengagin the latch at the end of' an operation an forndering the dog active to retain the arm at one end of its oscillation.

26. A machine having, in combination, an operating mechanism includinga, reciprocating part, an arm connected to oscillate synchronously withthe part, a lever, an actuator connected to oscillate the lever,normally inactive means for retaining the arm at one end of itsoscillation, a spiihg connecting the lever and arm to permitcontinuedmovement of the lever and its actuator upon arrest of the arm,a latch for normally connecting the lever and arms and means fordisconnecting the actuator from its driving power, disconnecting thelatch and renderin the retainin means active.

ERNARD LEVEQE.

